Traditional healer convicted for fraud

Mubende. Mubende Magistrate’s Court has sentenced a traditional doctor to two-and-half years in jail for fraud.
Mubende Grade II Magistrate Salongo Luwaga sentenced Mr Richard Ssenkoza to prison after prosecution proved that he conned Mr Robert Mugabirwe of Shs12m after promising to exorcise evil spirits from him.

Prosecution led by Mr Bipus Nsabye told court last Monday that Mr Ssenkoza, a resident of Kigagga LCI in Mubende Municipality, on April 25, 2015 duped Mr Mugabirwe, a resident of Nabikakala village and obtained Shs12 million from him under false pretence.

Mr Mugabirwe told court that he met Mr Ssenkoza at his shrine in Kigagga village and he promised to help him solve his problems that included casting out evil spirits from him, finding a job and giving him wealth. “He gave me herbs to bathe and other concoctions to drink which upon using them, the situation just worsened. When I returned to him for advice, Mr Ssenkoza ordered me to sell off my 81 sacks of maize and a motorcycle and give him the money,” Mr Mugabirwe told court.
“He also deceived me that I will become Shs216 million richer if I critically followed all his instructions but up to today, I have offered sacrifices to the spirits but I have never received any single coin,” he added.

In his defence, Mr Ssenkoza told court that he never forced Mr Mugabirwe to give him the money, adding that whatever was being done was meant to bebefit Mr Mugabwire.
Mr Luwaga said he handed Mr Ssenkoza a deterrent sentence of three months to serve as a lesson to other traditional doctors who extort money from unsuspecting public under the guise of giving them riches.

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